Shower water additive dispensing apparatus



Dec. 30, T NOVAK SHOWER WATER ADDITIVE DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed June 19, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2e 40 38's 24 4e 3 42 1 so a s5 H62 52 .ID/ 34 INVENTOR THOMAS 1.. NOVAK ATTORNEYS Dec. 30, 1969 T. L. NOVAK 3,486,695

SHOWER WATER ADDITIVE DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed June 19, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.3

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ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,486,695 SHOWER WATER ADDITIVE DISPENSING APPARATUS Thomas L. Novak, St. Clair Shores, Mich., assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, of one-half to Stanley Novak, St. Clair Shores, Mich.

Filed June 19, 1967, Ser. No. 646,992 Int. Cl. Bb 7/30 U.S. Cl. 239-70 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for dispensing shower water additives including a plurality of shower water additive reservoirs, a shower head, a multiple positive valve including an off position, a timing valve connected between the multiple position valve and the shower head, separate conduits connecting each of the reservoirs to the multiple position valve, a metering valve positioned in each separate conduit whereby a metered amount of a selected shower water additive may be added to shower water for a selected time and metering of any additive to the shower head may be substantially immediately stopped as desired. A single control lever may be used to select both the type of additive and the length of time the additive is metered into the shower water.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The invention relates to means for adding additives to water and refers more specifically to apparatus for adding a selected shower water additive to shower water at a predetermined rate for a selected time including means for stopping the adding of the additive at any time.

Description of the prior art In the past showers usually have not been provided with apparatus whereby additives, such as soap or oil, could be added directly to the shower water. Soap has therefore been prepared for showers with ropes for hanging around the neck of the person showering and cloths have been impregnated with oil for use after the shower. Toilet water and other perfumes and deodorants are packaged in spray cans and the like for use after showering.

Such separate packaging and use of shower additives is objectionable in that added time is required which defeats one of the major reasons for showering rather than bathing in a tub, that is that the time required is much less for showering. Additives, such as soap and oil, are however essential to personal hygiene and preventing dry skin with the accompanying uncomfortable itching and unsightly scaling.

Where shower water additive dispensing apparatus has been provided in the past, it has been deficient in that it did not provide for metering or multiple additives into the shower water, often did not provide control of the rate of metering of the shower water additive into the shower water and sometimes provided no means for stop ping adding of the additive to the shower water at any time. In addition, the prior known shower water additive dispensing apparatus has not included timing apparatus whereby the shower water additive could be added to shower water for a variable selected time.

Obviously therefore, the prior art has not provided shower water additive dispensing apparatus including a single lever for simultaneously selecting the type of additive and the time of feeding the additive into the shower water.

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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention then is to provide improved shower water additive dispensing apparatus which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture and efficient in use, including apparatus for simultaneously selecting the type of shower water additive and for timing the metering of the additive into the shower water.

The shower water additive dispensing apparatus of the invention includes a plurality of shower water additive reservoirs, a multiple position valve having one more position than the number of reservoirs, a timing valve connected between the multiple position valve and a shower head for permitting passage of shower water additives from the multiple position valve through the timing valve to the shower head for variable selected times and conduits connecting each of the reservoirs to a separate one of the positions of the multiple position valve and means for metering the rate of How of shower water additive through the conduits to the multiple position valve.

In a modification the shower water additive dispensing apparatus disclosed includes a single lever for simultaneously selecting the type of additive selected and the time of metering of the selected type of additive. The lever and timing valve may also be so related as to provide a linear relation between movement of the lever and time of metering of the additive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of shower water additive dispensing apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention, including a cover therefor whereby the apparatus appears as it would in use.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the shower water additive dispensing apparatus of FIGURE 1 with the cover removed therefrom.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a modification of the shower water additive dispensing apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged partial front view of the modified shower water additive dispensing apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 3 with the cover removed therefrom.

FIGURE 5 is a partial side view of the modified apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 4 taken substantially on the lines 55 in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged partial front view of a modification of the shower water additive dispensing apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 3 with the cover removed therefrom.

FIGURE 7 is a partial side view of the modified apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 6 taken substantially on the line 77 in FIGURE 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown best in FIGURE 2, the shower water additive dispensing apparatus 10 includes a plurality of reservoirs 12 and 14, a multiple position valve 16, a timing valve 18 and separate conduits 20 and 22 having metering valves 24 and 26, respectively, therein connected between the reservoirs 12 and 14 respectively, and the multiple position valve 16.

A mounting bracket 28 is provided extending between the shower water pipe 30 and the multiple position valve 16- for supporting the reservoirs 12 and 14. The timing valve 18 is connected between the shower water pipe 30 and the shower head 32 by means of the Y-connection 34, as shown. The plugs 35 and aspirating tube 37 are secured in the Y-connection 34. A cover 36 which may be constructed of plastic colored as desired is provided to enclose the shower water additive dispensing apparatus 10, as shown best in FIGURE 1. I

The multiple position valve 16 is a three-way valve having the input openings 38 and 40 and the output opening 42. The control lever 44 of the three-way valve 16 is movable between left, center and right positions. With the lever in the left position, as illustrated in the figures the soap reservoir 14 is connected through the three-way valve 16. With the lever in the right position, as indicated in FIGURE 1, the oil reservoir 12 is connected through the three-way valve 16. In the center position of the lever 44, the three-way valve 16 is closed.

The timing valve 18 is conventional and may be for example a rinse timer valve, Part No. A-554-3, obtainable from the Bruner Corporation, Detroit, Michigan. The valve 18 includes the clock portion 46, the valve portion 48 and the time selector 50.

In operation the selector is turned to a predetermined time indicated on the scale 52. The valve portion of the timing valve 18 is thus opened for the time indicated on the scale 52 to which the selector has been turned. As time passes the selector 50 will gradually return to a zero time indication due to operation of the clock portion 46 of valve 18. When the selector 50 is at zero time indication, the valve portion 48 of the timing valve 18 will close.

The reservoirs 12 and 14 may be of any convenient size and may in fact be located remote from the threeway valve 16 if desired. As shown, the reservoirs 12 and 14 are supplied with oil and soap respectively through openings 54 and 56 in the top thereof. The reservoirs 12 and 14 are connected as indicated previously to the respective openings 38 and 40 of the three-way valve through conduits 20 and 22.

The metering valves 24 and 26 in the conduits 20 and 22 permit determining the rate of flow of shower water additive from the reservoirs 12 and 14 as desired. Normally this rate of flow will be preset so that the metering valve adjusting wing nuts 58 and 60 are positioned inside the cover 36, as shown in FIGURE 1.

As shown best in FIGURE 2, a Y-coupling 34 is po sitioned between the shower water pipe 30 and the shower head 32 and connects to one end of the timing valve 18. The timing valve 18 in turn connects to the three-way valve 16 which is connected through the conduits 20 and 22 having the metering valves 24 and 26 therein to the reservoirs 12 and 14. The reservoirs 12 and 14 are supported by the bracket 28 connected between the threeway valve 16 and the shower water pipe 30.

In overall operation, the shower is turned on so that water is fed through pipe 30 and head 32. The desired flow rates of additives from the reservoirs 12 and 14 are set by means of the metering valves 24 and 26. The time selector 50 of the timing valve 18 is turned to the selected time within the range of the timing valve 18 which may be for example a ten minute range. The lever 44 is then moved right or left from a neutral position and either oil or soap are added through the aspirating tube 37 to the water in the Y-coupling 34 for the time indicated on the timing valve 18.

Should it be desired to override the timing valve 18 at any time, such as when soap gets in the eyes of the person showering, the lever 44 is turned to the neutral central position.

The modification 62 of the shower water additive dispensing apparatus 10, illustrated in FIGURES 3 through 5, is particularly constructed so as to be operated with a single operating lever 64. As shown in FIGURE 3, the shower water additive dispensing apparatus 62 includes the same reservoirs, multiple position valve, metering valves and timing valve as apparatus which are connected as shown in FIGURE 2 between a water pipe and shower head 66. The cover 68 is formed somewhat differently to indicate the wide variety of external appearance which the apparatus 10 and 62 could have.

Functionally the apparatus 62, as shown best in FIG- URES 4 and 5, differs from the apparatus 70 Only in that it includes means 72 for moving the time selector 70 with the lever .64. Thus in operation it is necessary only to move the lever 64 to determine the type of additive desired in the shower water and the length of time that the particular type of additive is available.

The means 72 for automatically positioning the time selector 70 with the lever 64 includes a rigid member 74 extending downwardly from the lever 64 for movement therewith in an arcuate path, a first time selector positioning member 78 pivotally mounted on the pivot axis 80 of the time selector 70 having a projection 82 thereon engageable with the time selector 70 on movement of the time selector positioning member 78 in a clockwise direction and a ball and socket connection 84 between the downwardly extending member 74 and the time selector positioning member 78.

The apparatus 72 for positioning the time selector 70 further includes the slide structure 86 having the mounting bracket '88 rigidly secured in a fixed position and the rigid U-shaped force transfer member 90 including the horizontally extending portion 92 guided through the bracket 88, the vertically extending portion 94, and the horizontally extending portion 96. The end 98 of the member 86 is engaged with the downwardly extending member 74 in an elongated slot connection 76 for movement therewith and relative thereto through the guide 88 on movement of the lever 64. Reciprocal movement of the end 100 of the member 86 is thus produced on movement of the lever 64 in the direction of arrows 102.

A second time selector positioning member 104 is pivotally mounted on the axis 80 on the opposite side of the time selector 70 from member 78 and includes a projection 106 engageable with the time selector 70 on pivotal movement thereof in a clockwise direction about the axis 80. A second ball and socket connection 108 is provided between the second time selector positioning member and the end 100 of the member 86.

Thus in operation, on movement of the lever 64 to the right in FIGURE 4, the projection 82 will engage the time selector 70 to set the time during which, for example oil will be fed into the water issuing from the shower head 66. When the lever 64 is moved to the left in FIGURE 4, the projection 106 engages the time selector 70 to move the time selector 70 in a clockwise direction to determine the time during which soap is fed into the shower water. Again when the lever 64 is returned to the neutral position, both of the additives are cut off since they are not allowed to flow through the three-way valve.

The modification 110 of the shower water additive dispensing apparatus 10 which is illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7 also permits selection of both the type of additive and the duration of supply of the additive through movement of a single lever 112. The structure illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7 again includes a single downwardly projecting member 114 rigidly secured to the lever 112 so as to be movable therewith and including the projections 116 and 118 engageable with the time selector 120 for movement of the time selector 120 in the clockwise direction on movement of the lever .112 in opposite directions.

In addition, either of the time selectors 70 or 120 may be constructed to provide linear time adjustment of the time for a given arcuate movement of the respective levers 64 and 112. Thus, as shown in FIGURES 6 and 7, the time selector 120 is contoured so that in conjunction with the projections 116 and 118, the desired linear arrangement between movement of the lever 112 and the time during which an additive is added to the shower water is accomplished.

Again the structure of FIGURES 6 and 7, except as indicated, is similar to the necessary and corresponding portions of the shower water additive dispensing apparatus 10 and 62.

What I claim is:

1. A. shower head, a plurality of separate storage resenvoirs for shower water additives, means extending between the reservoirs and shower head through which the shower water additives may pass from the reservoirs to the shower head, selectively controlled timing valve means in the means extending between the reservoirs and shower head for controlling the time during which the shower water additive is metered from the reservoir to the shower head, means for selectively connecting the plurality of reservoirs through the timing valve to the shower head whereby different additives may be passed to the shower head and means operably associated with the reservoirs and timing valve for simultaneously selecting the reservoir connected and time of metering of the selected additive from the selected reservoir.

2. Structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein the means for simultaneously selecting the reservoir and time includes a time selector and a single lever movable to set the time selector and connect the selected reservoir.

3. Structure as set forth in claim 2, wherein the time selector is contoured to provide a linear time selection to lever movement ratio.

4. Structure as set forth in claim 3, wherein the time selector is centrally pivotally mounted and is arcuately contoured in opposite directions on opposite sides of the pivot mounting thereof, the lever is constructed and arranged to move transversely of the time selector and includes abutments thereon engageable With one side of the time selector on one side of the pivot mounting thereof and with the other side of the time selector on the other side thereof.

5. Structure as set forth in claim 2, wherein the time selector is centrally pivotally mounted and further including first abutment means pivotally mounted on the central pivotal mount and engageable with one side of the selector on one side of the central pivotal mount, second abutment means pivotally mounted on the other side of the central pivotal mount and engageable with the other side of the selector on the other side of the central pivotal mount and means operable between the abutment means and lever for moving the abutment means in the same direction as movement of the lever transversely of the selector.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,668,802 5/1928 Cantrell 239-304 2,588,255 3/1952 Larsh 239318 2,772,067 11/1956 Wilson 137-624. 11 3,044,276 7/ 1962 Kauten 239 3,333,601 8/1967 Lofgreen 239318 EVERETT W. KIRBY, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

